More condolences, help pour in for quake victims

More condolences, help pour in for quake victims

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

More messages of condolences and offers of assistance are pouring
in from various countries for Monday's earthquake victims on Nias
island, off the west coast of North Sumatra.

The 8.7-magnitude quake struck the remote Nias island on late
Monday and killed an estimated 1,000 people. The quake occurred
just three months after the earthquake-triggered tsunami in the
Indian Ocean region that killed at least 250,000 people.

The 25-member European Union (EU) presidency expressed its
sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the
Indonesian government.

"In these difficult times, the Presidency offers its support
and solidarity to the Indonesian people," the Royal Netherlands
Embassy, in its capacity as acting president of the EU, said in a
statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Russia, which participated actively in emergency efforts in
tsunami-affected Aceh, sent a rescue team and a mobile hospital
to Nias on Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta said in a
press release.

"The team consisting of 48 rescuers, doctors, nurses and
relief workers is due to arrive in Medan by transport plane
Ilyushin-76 in the early hours of April 1, 2005," the embassy
said.

From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram
to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday.

"On behalf of all Russians I express my deep condolences to
the relatives and near ones of those who died," the telegram, the
contents of which were made available to the Post by RIA Novosti,
said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had sent condolences to
his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda, following the quake
that struck Nias on late Monday.

"On behalf of the British government and people I wanted to
express my sincere condolences for the loss of life as a result
of the earthquake ... As always, my government stands ready to
help in any way appropriate," Straw said in a statement which was
released in Jakarta by the British Embassy.

South Africa, which is a co-host of this month's Asian-African
Summit in Jakarta, also conveyed its condolences to Susilo in a
message on Tuesday.

"South Africa stands ready to assist the government and people
of Indonesia in whatever manner it can and within the limited
resources at its disposal," News24 reported on Thursday quoting
President Thabo Mbeki's message.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta informed the Post on
Wednesday that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had sent a
condolence message to Susilo.

"On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, I would
like to extend my condolences and sympathy to you and, through
you, to the people of Indonesia as they are coping with the
effect of this disaster," Thaksin said in the message.

Meanwhile, the Mexican Embassy announced on Thursday that
Mexico's third ship ARM Papaloapan, which left Veracruz port on
Feb. 11, will arrive in Medan on Sunday.

Earlier, the Mexican Navy sent ARM/Zapoteco and ARM Usumacinta
to Aceh with humanitarian assistance and both have returned to
their bases.

"The Papaloapan is carrying 1,105 tons of humanitarian relief
supplies for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami and for the
rehabilitation of the electricity network," the embassy said in a
statement.

Mexican Embassy Counselor Jose Barojas told the Post that some
of these supplies could be diverted to Nias island.

The World Health Organization's Indonesian office released
US$10,000 on Tuesday for immediate relief operation in Nias, its
office announced in Jakarta.